Here's Why 'Katie McCain' Is The Star Of The New iPhone 5 Ad

Apple put
out a couple more ads for
the iPhone 5 today, and sharp-eyed observers may notice that
in one of them the narrative revolves partially around a call to
someone named "Katie McCain," seen on the screen of an iPhone 5
during a demonstration of the device's call-noise-canceling
feature.

It turns out Katie McCain is a real person, but she doesn't look
anything like the brunette shown looking coyly over her shoulder
in the ad.

Generally, to feature someone's name in a commercial endorsement,
that person needs to sign a release allowing the endorsement to
happen.

As all Apple needs in this case is a random name on a phone, it's
a lot easier if a member of Apple's own ad account team
volunteers her name.

The reason that the photo isn't McCain's is probably due to
McCain not wanting to become "famous" this way, and because it's
cheap for agencies to use stock art rather than shoot a new model
-- who must be paid and sign yet another release -- from scratch.